Loyalty
by steph2009
Summary: While the hat believed I was all those things, often I thought that when it came to Harry, I was better suited for Hufflepuff. For my loyalty to him would surely be the death of me.
1. Prologue

**Loyalty**

_ Prologue _

Neville Longbottom bit into his lip to keep himself quiet as he followed Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood up the stairs toward the Headmaster's office. Ginny was at the front of the trio.

"Neville, Luna, stay where you are and watch for Snape or his cronies," Ginny ordered as she stepped into the office. Even though, we knew that the Sword of Gryffindor was incased in glass, we never heard it break. Ginny came running out of the office with the sword at her side. "Come on!" She whispered. "That nasty portrait is bound to be tipping Snape off right now!"

"Portrait?" Neville asked as the stood close to her. The sword behind her back.

"Salazar Syltherin!" Ginny exclaimed as they hurried down the steps. A startled gasp escaped all three of them as they came face to face with Snape himself.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"


	2. Detachment

**Loyalty**

**Detachment**

_Ginny's POV_

The chains holding me up clinked together as I shifted my weight. I could feel my wrists burning at the weight. I glanced over at Neville and Luna. They were both looking at me. Neville smiled through his occasional shivers while Luna simply smiled in her usual fashion.

I glanced around for signs of our tormenters. The Carrow twins. Snape had handed responsibility of our punishment over to them declaring he didn't have the time to deal with us.

__Suddenly the dungeon doors opened. The Carrows had arrived with others it seemed.

__"Today, we will be learning how to administer the Cruciatus curse." The sickly voice of the female twin drawled. The door to their cell was pushed open. In stepped the Syltherins she disliked most: Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, and three others whose names escaped her. "These students have been particularly naughty."

___'I'm assuming that all five of these Syltherins have the Dark mark on their arm..' _I thought as I attempted drown out the twin's words. _'Sick, twisted fucks are probably going to enjoy this…' _I watched as if through another's eyes as Draco Malfoy lifted his wand. _'Sure enough. There it is.' _I thought as I eyed the mark on his arm. It seemed to be moving, I realized with a small mental shudder.

"Crucio." His voice sounded defeated.

_'As if he had resigned to this life…' _I thought with a small pang of sadness, attempting to ignore the screams of her friends and my own pain. _'Harry, is this what you felt in the graveyard your fourth year?' _I bit deeply into my cheek of keep the screams from surfacing. _'These bastards don't deserve to hear me scream.' _I vowed.

"Miss. Weasley is a strong one…" cooed Alecto Carrow. "Raise it up a notch, shall we?" The pain I had felt doubled. I bit deeper into my cheek and was rewarded with the taste of blood. _'Detach…' _A voice that sounded surprisingly like Harry's demanded. Willingly, I obeyed and pulled a memory to the surface.

_I found myself at the Forest of Dean. The very place the Qudditich World Cup had been played. A small tent was in view. With shaky hands, I pushed the flap open. There standing by the table was the very man I would die for; the man I would live for: Harry James Potter. _

_ 'It's not a memory…' _I realized.

_He seemed to be pouring over an old piece of parchment. I moved closer. The name Severus Snape and a set of footprints danced across the page. _

_**'The Marauders' Map.'**__ I realized. Harry's back tensed. _

_ "Ginny?" He whispered curiously. I tensed. _

_ "Harry? Who are you talking too?" Hermione's voice sounded from the bunks. He blinked and shook his head with a disgruntled look. _

_ "No one…" He whispered. I detected a hint of longing in his voice. _

_**'Oh, Harry…' **__I thought. _

"How is she not screaming?" Alecto's crazed voice broke me from my trance. Draco and Goyle-that was the large ones name!-stood in front of me both wearing identical looks of confusion. I glanced over at my friends through my hair. Neville was sagging against the wall, looking thoroughly tired. Luna had tear streaks running down her face. Rage boiled within me.

"Maybe you're just incompetent. Figures you two couldn't even get how to torture right. Maybe they should make a manual for people like you."

_'Apparently, my brain to mouth function is broken…' _I thought as Alecto smiled cruelly; despite her outward appearance of cool indifference, I knew my words had affected her. _'After all, I've insulted her Death Eater prowess. Oh, the horror!' _

"We'll see about that!" With that declaration, the pain started again. Through the pain, I looked over at Luna and Neville. They were leaning against the wall, both wearing identical looks of horror and both staring at me. Once more, I fought to detach myself, but willed myself not to find myself in the Forest of Dean. If one of the Carrows pried my mind, Harry, my brother, and Hermione would be doomed.

_Harry was once again the star of my musings. He was sitting on the lawn chair. His eyes fixed on Hermione's desolate frame. Vaguely, I wondered where my brother was. _

Then I realized that this wasn't a memory like I had wanted, but I was back. I sighed mentally and quickly tinkered with the scene to make it look as though we were inside of Hogwarts. The necklace on Hermione's neck quickly became an oval shaped flower instead of the Horcrux I guessed it was.

___I watched as Harry seemed to come to a decision. He stood from the chair and stepped in front of Hermione then outstretched his hand. She looked at it for a moment before taking it. He pulled her to her feet and then, they began to dance. Slowly, at first. Then began to pick up speed as Hermione began to smile and laugh more. It looked as though they were having the time of their lives and I couldn't help but feel jealous. I shook myself roughly._

_** 'Now is not the time for that, Ginny!' **_

___Suddenly, Hermione broke away from him. Her face once again had fallen. The happiness they had previously entertained was now dead. Guilt racked me for even being jealous now. Hermione was hurting and I had no clue why, but if I had to guess-it was Ron related. Harry slipped away from her with a small sigh. _

__I slowly brought myself back to the matter at hand. The first thing I realized was that my whole body ached; the second was that the Carrows seemed to be out of breath as well as the other Syltherins.

"That's enough for today…" Alecto panted. "Get them down."


	3. For Harry

**Loyalty**

**For Harry**

_Ginny's POV_

My whole body ached as I submerged myself into the warm water of the bath. Fred and George had heard of my actions and were immensely proud.

_"We are so spreading it through the radio!" _They had wrote happily. _"The world deserves to know how bad ass our little sister is!"_ I had smiled at that line. But the howler I had received from my mother put a damper on that happiness.

I understood her anger. I understood she was afraid. But all that I did, I did for Harry.

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart…_

_**(Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, p. 118, J.K. Rowling)**_

While the hat believed I was all those things, often I thought that when it came to Harry, I was better suited for Hufflepuff. For my loyalty to him would surely be the death of me.


End file.
